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Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?: A Novel | Crystal Smith Paul
20 posts | 22 read | 10 to read
A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions. A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kittys affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kittys journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal couldand between a cheating fianc and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty. The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them. As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and genderand the choices some women make to break free of them.
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Cortg
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this #popsugar23 ~ a book about or set in Hollywood. Actress Kitty Karr passes away and unexpectedly leaves her fortune to another wealthy Hollywood family. The story goes between present day Elise tying up Kitty‘s estate and learning Kitty‘s secrets to Kitty‘s life growing up and how she made it in Hollywood. This one has Lessons in Chemistry and Evelyn Hugo vibes.

squirrelbrain Sounds great! 2w
47 likes1 comment
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Hillea2
Pickpick

Fascinating read and topic, the end seemed a little abrupt but overall a fun pick for our book club!

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LatrelWhite
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Wow!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

16 likes1 stack add
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marleed
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Pickpick

There‘s a pile of details in this book and I often thought some could easily have been left out in building this story. But as I neared the end, I realized, no. Those details and interactions are the complexity of ‘passing‘ in a society made infinitely simpler if your ancestors were all white.

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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

An all-around winner at #mummydaughterbookclub! Was this predictable? Yes. Was it more about the how than the what? Yes. Was the part with the FBI confusing and none of us understood the point? Yes.

AlaMich I love the 🍍 glass! 2mo
janeycanuck @AlaMich isn‘t it fun?! 1mo
38 likes2 comments
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Amandakay
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Pickpick

When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.

+ reminded me of Evelyn Hugo the way she unfolds her characters
- there are a lot of characters introduced and it was confusing at times

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Kappadeemom
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I‘m off today!! Yay! This one is so good so far - and it‘s a Reese‘s Book Club pick❤️

32 likes1 stack add
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Eggs
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Pickpick

“Half of the work that is done in the world is to make things appear what they are not”.

Great themes and character development, plus civil rights research makes this a pick, but with some reservations. In its dual timelines, the 2017 characters/plot action is confusing. But the 1950s - 1960s part is great! At times, it was overambitious -author tried to include too much info/description and fraud-like actions of the Blair House group. ⬇️

Eggs Also Author Notes would have been a nice touch. 3mo
78 likes1 comment
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RebelReader
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Trying to get a few pages in between games. Go Rangers!

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janeycanuck
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Between work schedules and previous plans and travels, we were only able to have our annual #MummyDaughterBookClub book choice unveiling this past weekend. This is the first year I‘m excited for every choice - usually there‘s one that I‘m not super keen on!

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bio_chem06
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Pickpick

I don‘t understand all the hate for this book. I thought it was fun. It could‘ve been a little shorter, but that‘s my only gripe.

8 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
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Bailedbailed

This one just isn‘t grabbing me, so I‘m out. I think this is me, though, not the book.

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ICantImReading
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kitty‘s journey from the Jim Crow South to glamorous Hollywood is intriguing and illuminates important topics. The story felt muddled with too many characters; I wish it would have been tightened up to create more emotional resonance. 🎧#reesesbookclub

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rachelsbrittain
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Pickpick

It took me a moment to get into this book since the historical story was far more interesting to me than the present-day ones but I was absolutely engulfed once we really got into it. Race, family, wealth, and fame intersect in this novel that reveals just how deep the roots of racism go.

40 likes1 stack add
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bio_chem06
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I have the best view in Chicago and after weeks of working weekends, I don‘t feel one ounce of guilt about doing nothing but reading this entire book today. Happy memorial friends! #cheerswithabook

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Aims42 Awesome picture!! 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Aims42 thank you ❤️ 4mo
Eggs IAM planning to read this soon 🔜 ❤️❤️ 4mo
72 likes4 comments
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rachelsbrittain
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"Elise never went to sleep, and she wasn't the only one."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

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Reecaspieces
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Pickpick
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paisleyjess
Mehso-so

Three Vanishing Half meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I loved the first 2/3rds of this book. The final third felt rushed with all the major conflict coming and resolving in a single scene. Much of the resolution was told, rather than shown for a lot of the numerous characters in this book. The plot might have been over complicated, creating no way to logically resolve it.

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Jemgirl2014
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My picks! They already shipped! I usually don‘t read historical fiction but I do enjoy the theme of colorism and passing. I had “The Last Word” preordered on Audible but after seeing BOTM‘s clue I cancelled it right away. Excited for both!